Death Won't Keep us Apart
by NebulaWrites
Summary: 'This kid,' Tobirama thinks venomously. 'Is going to be the literal second death of me.'
1. Chapter 1

_A.N: I've been gone for a long time, haven't I? I'm sorry about that, and even more so to say for the moment all of my multi-chapter fics have been put on hiatus or for some discontinued. These Soulmate Drabbles are cross-posted on my Ao3 account under the new/same name as this one. Enjoy._

* * *

'This kid,' Tobirama thinks venomously. 'Is going to be the literal second death of me.'

"You're getting too reckless!" Tsunade fumed as she manhandled her teammate out of his shirt so she could see the extent of his wounds. "I wouldn't be if _someone_ ," a burning glare shot in his direction. "Would stop distracting me!" both the Senju bristle angrily and the blonde rounds on him. "How much longer until you actually kill him, Tobirama?!" snarls the medic and ruby eyes sharpen more as he internally flinches.

Orochimaru fitfully fell back against the bed, a muffled squeak of pain escaping him just barely. "It's hardly my fault that I get dragged along wherever he goes! I thought I'd get some rest when I died, but clearly that's not the case." He shot at his grandniece before reflexively stepping forward as the pale man on the bed coughed and blood spilt from his mouth. Fast as a snake, Orochimaru was upright with a hand over his mouth and a disgusted expression that would've made the Nidaime chuckle if it were anyone else.

But since this was his soulmate, it just made him flinch uncomfortably with the knowledge that the wounds Orochimaru suffered were because of him.

"Our squabble is pointless. He'll die if you don't heal him, Tsunade." The light haired man said, turning away when he couldn't handle the sight any longer. Tsunade grumbled in response before audibly getting up from her seat, no one even blinking as the door slammed open. "Don't you even start, Hiruzen, I swear you so much as make any comment-." Tobirama snarled when he felt the prick of anger radiating off his former student, the clop of Jiraiya's ever annoying choice of shoes announcing the white haired Jounin's rush to his teammate's side.

After a while of listening to Jiraiya's rushed demands, Tsunade's barked responses and the icy chill of Hiruzen's disapproval; the Senju wheeled around and sat on the bed near Orochimaru's head. The snake-like other pried open his eyes, pain dancing in the beautiful golden depths, and lifted his uninjured hand to intertwine it with Tobirama's own hand. The Nidaime once again mentally thanked the fact that his chakra was potent enough even in death for such contact. Though she remained silent, Tsunade was clearly sated by the slight sign of affection and continued carefully healing the smallest of the group.

"Guess panic gives you enough motivation to be able to touch others that aren't me." Orochimaru tried to joke before a noise of sheer pain weaseled its way from his throat, making everyone tense in apprehension. From the sheer expectation – and slight demanding included in Hiruzen's part – in the gazes of the others, the pale haired man let out a sigh of resignation. "Rest now, call me back when you have more chakra." He said, his chest going tight when his other half's grip tightened on his hand. "My chakra levels are _fine_." The snake said pointedly, clearly aiming at the others of his team with the words, but allows his chakra to settle with a frown as his hand passes straight through Tobirama's.

Knowing that the others could no longer see or hear him, the Nidaime leaned down and placed a light kiss on Orochimaru's forehead. "Rest well, I'll wait for your call." Murmured the ruby-eyed male before he allowed his form to dissipate in order to keep from leeching chakra from his soulmate. The boy makes one complaint filled noise and closed his eyes to relax most likely.


	2. Chapter 2

_Post-drabble #1!_

* * *

It wasn't often that he worried for Orochimaru now, but this was different.

Tobirama nearly snarls as he tries to find some way to become tangible – or at least make himself _seen_ – because there was no way Orochimaru would get through this fight without help. Something inside him was bitterly furious towards Tsunade and Jiraiya for leaving the village and therefore leaving Orochimaru. The pale Sannin narrowly ducks under a sweep of a naginata and the Nidaime curses in frustration.

This was just like the fight that end with Orochimaru in the hospital. But, the ruby-eyed male thinks, this time there's no back up. "Orochimaru," he snaps and can tell from the barely-there glance he gets that he had been heard. "I'm draining your chakra, I'll leave so long as you don't die because of this." The snake summoner narrows his eyes but nods regardless, and with a touch of will Tobirama allows himself to fade out.

He didn't expect to blink and suddenly be in the midst of a fight what seemed to be a heartbeat later, but a lifetime of being a shinobi has him instantly sweeping the battle with one glance and diving in to help the shinobi with Konoha's hitai-ate instead of questioning it. "What the-?" a man splutters, his eyes shooting wide and Tobirama easily recognizes his coloring was that of a Hatake.

"I do hope you can tell that I am on your side, Hatake," he drawls, knocking the wind out of one Suna nin's lungs with a swift kick to the middle of the chest. Hatake blinks, shakes himself and nods once, charging forward with his tanto leading.

"Of course, Lord Nidaime, you just took me by surprise." Is what he says before leaping back and bodily shoving a kunoichi away from a large tree. Tobirama reflexively draws his sword as instincts scream at him and he's just in time to catch the edge of a halberd on his sword to save the Hatake from getting his skull cleaved in half. With a jerk and a twist, he flung the shinobi away and quirked a brow at the silver-haired man as he drags foliage in front of a hollow in the trunk.

"Are you saying that you weren't expecting me to help?" Tobirama questions as a Yamanaka drops between them, eyes sparking with curiosity as she turns to Hatake - blood smeared across her and with a glance over his shoulder the Nidaime realizes she had finished off the two Suna nin.

"Sakumo how is the Nidaime here?"

Sakumo shrugs one shoulder as he picks up his tanto again, twirling it around his hand briefly as he met Tobirama's sharp gaze. "No, I know you would help if you were around. I wasn't you expecting to be though; especially considering Orochimaru is in chakra exhaustion. Asuka, get the message out to the others that either we finish this fight quickly or we retreat now. Orochimaru needs medical treatment as quickly as possible, or he'll die."

Something wrenches in his heart and Tobirama immediately looks back at the covered hollow. "What do you mean by that?" he demands as the Yamanaka gives a lazy salute and charges off, her chakra spiking sharply to the point of Tobirama notices it immediately. Sakumo tips his head to the side before sighing and walking a few meters away from the tree, crouching readily as he calls over his shoulder.

"Orochimaru was meant to be back in the village hours ago, so we were sent to find him. When we found him in the fight, obviously we had to back him up and before any of us noticed he used a jutsu that sent him straight into chakra exhaustion."

"Edo Tensei," Tobirama mutters before he can help it as he considers himself for a brief, brief moment while moving to place himself about half way between Sakumo and the tree. "I assume that you placed him in the hollow?" this makes the Hatake wave over his shoulder in a sign of agreement and the Nidaime determinedly decides on staying close enough to protect Orochimaru. "I'll be in shouting range," he informs the other as he charges by. "Call for me if you need my help, though I don't think many will slip by me."

"I'll keep that in mind, Lord Nidaime." Sakumo reassures with a grin in his voice.

* * *

As soon as Orochimaru was awake, Tobirama was going to give him a lesson he'd better remember. He was leaning against the wall, watching the Sannin silently and he just hoped that Orochimaru actually _would_ wake. His soulmate had used far too much chakra; to the point the medics had been surprised that he was alive at all. Sighing, he pushes away from the wall to look out the window with a frown.

It has been hours since Orochimaru had used Edo Tensei to bring him back, hours since the fight had been won and Orochimaru had been brought to the hospital. Hiruzen had stopped by earlier, concerned for his student's well-being in a way that he hadn't shown since Jiraiya left – if Tobirama had pointed that out in a way harsher than it should've been, one couldn't quite blame him. Everyone else that came by so far had simply done so in order to look at Tobirama rather than for worry about the Sannin.

"Hey," Sakumo's voice startles the Nidaime into leaning out of the open window, the man grins as he stops just in front of said window. "Has he woken up yet?"

"No," Tobirama confesses, looking at the boy standing next to Sakumo. "Aside from Hiruzen, you are the only one to ask about him." The boy's nose scrunches up slightly, and the pale Senju finally recognizes him from that expression alone. When Kakashi would stop by Orochimaru's he never had a scarf, so he doesn't feel too annoyed for not recognizing him at first.

Kakashi looks up at Tobirama with narrowed eyes, clearly assessing him before he huffs, "How?"

Immediately the two men exchange confused looks, and Tobirama slowly echoes the child quite dubious as to what he meant and hoping for an explanation.

He doesn't really get one.

* * *

Orochimaru was sprawled out on the bed, face first into the comforter and Tobirama snorts as he slips into the room. "You can't really blame him." He points out and in response the Sannin groaned loudly in complaint – a sound only Tobirama ever really gets to hear since Orochimaru was too prideful to do it around anyone else. "You spent two weeks unconscious in the hospital from chakra exhaustion and then you spent another three weeks recovering." The snake summoner sits up to look at the Nidaime.

"That doesn't mean that Sarutobi-sensei has to have ANBU staked out around my house. It also doesn't mean he has to keep me off the front lines, do you realize-?" Orochimaru stops talking with a scowl as Tobirama tuts at him, the Senju walks over and sits on the edge of his soulmate's bed to intertwine their fingers. For a long moment they just stare at each other, not speaking and not moving until Tobirama smiles.

"I think that's more because of me than Hiruzen's overprotective tendencies." He admits and it makes the smaller man roll his eyes in amusement before he topples forward again, mumbling something that sounds like "That could be it". The ruby-eyed male rubs his thumb over the back of Orochimaru's hand before continuing, "Either way the circumstances are different now, wouldn't you agree?"

This gets him a kick to the hip – extremely light compared to what Tobirama knows Orochimaru can do – and he squeezes the snake summoner's hand, rolling his eyes hard enough it _hurt_. "I didn't mean to do that, and you know it." Orochimaru grumbles, sliding off the bed before yelping as Tobirama locks an arm around his waist and drags him into his lap. "Really?"

"You have a tendency to run before I can ever respond whenever this comes up, Orochimaru, it's by far the time for you to listen."

Orochimaru huffs, crosses his arms over his chest and meets his gaze evenly – for all the world looking like a pissy cat. "I don't _mind_ that this happened," Tobirama murmurs, tipping his head to the side and smiling at his soulmate once more. "I don't mind that we haven't been able to come to a conclusion about how you did it. I should honestly be more irate that you learnt Edo Tensei in the first place, but I will admit that I'm proud you were capable of using one of my jutsu. If the ANBU are bothering you so much, I'll-."

"Orochimaru! Get out here right now!"

The Nidaime narrows his eyes at the voice, unknowingly tightening his hold around Orochimaru's waist even as the door to Orochimaru's home slams open. Sighing, the Sannin brushes his fingers over the red marking on Tobirama's cheek before he squirms free to stand. "Thank you," he murmurs before all but darting out of the room as that voice rises again in anger, with a low groan and a brief moment to gather himself he follows after his soulmate to calm the likely furious Tsunade.

* * *

 _Did you honestly expect me to keep Tobirama dead? You did? Well, you clearly haven't read much of my stuff then lol_


End file.
